Overview
Business immigration is the most mis-sold route in this industry. The genuine programmes, in Spain, Austria, Germany, the UK, Canada and the USA, all test the same three things: real money committed, a credible business plan, and real activity once you arrive. Each country gates entry differently: an official report in Spain (Ley 14/2013), points or a benefit test in Austria, a viability judgement in Germany (section 21), endorsement in the UK, designated organisation support in Canada, and treaty nationality plus a substantial investment in the USA.
Eligibility
Spain: an innovative business project of special economic interest, backed by a favourable official report, with a founder whose background fits the project. No fixed minimum investment; the money is judged against the plan.
Austria, Start-up Founders: company capital of at least EUR 30,000 with at least 50 percent equity held by you, an innovative product, service or method, and at least 50 of 85 points.
Austria, Self-Employed Key Workers: no points system. Your activity must pass a benefit test: a sustained capital transfer of at least EUR 100,000, or job creation or security, or know-how or new technology, or regional significance, assessed by AMS expert opinion.
Germany, section 21: a viable business idea, financing secured by your own capital or a loan commitment, and a positive effect on the economy. Freelancers are assessed separately and need their profession's licences.
UK, Innovator Founder: your idea must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body as new, innovative, viable and scalable, and the business cannot already be trading. English B2 and at least GBP 1,270 held for 28 days are also required. No fixed investment amount.
Canada, Start-up Visa: a letter of support from a designated organisation (venture fund, angel group or incubator), a qualifying business you will actively manage from Canada, language at CLB 5 in English or French, and settlement funds for your family size.
USA, E-2: nationals of treaty countries only. Pakistan is on the US Department of State treaty list for E-2. You must commit a substantial, at risk investment into a real operating business that is not marginal, and develop and direct it. No fixed minimum amount; consulates judge the sum against the business's real needs.
Requirements
A business plan with realistic forecasts; proof of the capital and of its lawful source; the endorsement, support letter or official report your route demands, secured before you apply where required; and a founder record that makes the plan believable.
Required documents
- Passport
- business plan
- bank statements and source of funds evidence
- company formation or investment documents
- endorsement letter (UK), letter of support and commitment certificate (Canada) or official report (Spain) where applicable
- CV and business experience evidence
- police certificates and medical evidence where required
Costs & fees
The capital is the real cost. Austria's start-up route needs at least EUR 30,000 of company capital, and its self-employed test uses a EUR 100,000 transfer as one way to qualify. The UK charges a GBP 1,000 endorsement fee and requires GBP 1,270 in personal savings, but sets no investment figure. Canada requires settlement funds on the official table for your family size. The USA sets no minimum, but an investment too small for the business model fails the test. Treat any fee charged for a guaranteed endorsement or support letter as a warning sign: support is an assessment, never a product.
Language requirements
The UK requires English at B2 level. Canada requires CLB 5 in English or French. Austria's start-up points include language skills in German or English. Germany sets no fixed level in law for section 21, though German helps in practice. Spain's entrepreneur route sets no formal language test.
Work rights
A founder title authorises your own business, not a job with someone else. The UK is a partial exception: Innovator Founder holders may also take other work in a role needing at least a level 3 qualification. E-2 holders may work only for the treaty business. Austria's cards cover only the approved activity.
Family information
Founder routes generally allow a spouse and children as dependants: UK dependants with set maintenance amounts; Canada's route includes your family in the permanent residence application; an E-2 spouse can apply for work authorisation; Austrian card holders' family members can qualify for the Red-White-Red Card plus.
Application process
- 1
Match the route to your real capital first. If the money is not there, no plan fixes it.
- 2
Secure the gatekeeper decision where one exists: the endorsing body, the designated organisation, or the official report.
- 3
Form the company and commit the funds as the route requires; for E-2, funds must be irrevocably committed before the interview.
- 4
Apply for the visa or residence authorisation with the full evidence pack.
- 5
Arrive and trade, keeping accounts, contracts, payroll and tax records from day one: renewals and settlement stages test what the business actually did.
Business routes are real, but they are not a loophole. Every serious programme asks for the same proof: real capital, a real business plan, and a business that actually trades once you arrive.
Who this is for
Founders and business owners with genuine capital to commit, a product or service with a real market, and patience for the evidence file these routes demand. It also suits operators expanding an existing business into a new country, with trading history rather than promises.
Who this is NOT for
- Anyone looking for a cheap visa through a paper company. A registered company with no trading, no customers and no money behind it fails every route on this page.
- Anyone offered an endorsement, a support letter or an investor package as a guaranteed product. Selling those decisions as certainties is a standard scam pattern.
- Anyone who cannot document where the investment money came from: unexplained funds are a refusal reason.
- Anyone who really wants a normal job abroad: founder titles do not authorise general employment.
FAQ
Q: Is there a cheap business visa I can use instead of a work permit?
A: No. The lowest capital figure on this page is Austria’s EUR 30,000 start-up minimum, and every route also tests your plan and your later trading. Programmes advertised as business visas for a few thousand euros are not these routes.
Q: How much money do I actually need?
A: Austria sets EUR 30,000 for start-up founders and uses EUR 100,000 as one qualifying test for the self-employed. The UK and the USA set no figure, but both judge whether the money genuinely fits the business model, and Canada adds settlement funds on top of your business costs.
Q: Can I buy my way in with an existing business or a support package?
A: Buying a real, operating business can count in some systems, including the US E-2. What cannot be bought is the decision itself: endorsements and support letters are assessments by approved organisations. Anyone charging a fee to guarantee one is misleading you.
Q: Can Pakistanis apply for the US E-2 visa?
A: Yes: Pakistan is on the US Department of State treaty list for E-1 and E-2. That only opens the door: the investment must still be substantial, at risk, and in a real, more than marginal business.
Next step
If you have real capital and a real idea, bring both to a free consultation. We will tell you honestly which route your profile fits, which ones it does not, and what evidence you would need. Renewals test real trading, so the plan has to work as a business, not only as an application.
NVConsult provides education and application guidance, not legal advice. No visa, job or outcome is guaranteed. Decisions rest solely with embassies, authorities and employers.
Official sources
Federal migration portal, Austria, Start-up Founders: https://www.migration.gv.at/index.php?id=1063
Federal migration portal, Austria, Self-employed Key Workers: https://www.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/self-employedkeyworkers/
GOV.UK, Innovator Founder visa: https://www.gov.uk/innovator-founder-visa
US Department of State, treaty countries list: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Start-up Visa Program: canada.ca
Ministerio de Inclusión, Unidad de Grandes Empresas, authorisations under Ley 14/2013: https://www.foroinmigracion.es/web/unidadgrandesempresas/autorizaciones-y-requisitos